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NIAID​ Primary Immune Deficiency Clinic

Information for Referring Physicians

NIAID established the Primary Immune Deficiency (PID) Clinic in 2007. The purpose of the clinic is to provide diagnosis and treatment recommendations for people with primary immune deficiency diseases (PIDDs).

If you are currently treating a patient with a known or suspected PIDD, you are invited to consult with NIAID about your patient’s care through this program. Clinicians who specialize in immune deficiency diseases will evaluate your patient’s medical history to determine if he or she might benefit from coming to the PID Clinic.

If your patient’s case is accepted for NIAID evaluation, you and your patient will be notified in writing of the decision. Your patient’s care, before and after a visit to the PID Clinic, will be a partnership between NIAID clinicians and you.

The following information is needed to determine your patient’s eligibility:

After all materials have been received, there is a review meeting to determine whether your patient would benefit from attendance and to schedule it, if indicated. It can take six to eight weeks for an appointment from the time of the review meeting. Once a decision has been made, you and your patient will be notified within one week.

Once your patient has been accepted to the PID Clinic, we will send you a copy of the NIH Patient Handbook and a copy of the NIH Screening Consent for your patient. NIH does not cover the cost of the patient's first visit for lodging or travel but does cover subsequent visits. There is no cost for the evaluation or care received at NIH. If your patient needs financial assistance to make the initial trip to NIH, please let us know and a social worker will contact the family to see if they qualify for assistance.

NIH is a government facility and a government-issued photo identification card (ID) for adults (driver’s license, passport, or other official ID) is required for access onto the NIH campus. Parents need to remember to bring custody, adoption, or foster care papers with them to show that they are legally able to sign consents for their child’s care if custody of their child is shared or if they are not the biological parent.

If your patient is eligible for participation in an existing NIAID clinical trial, he or she will be considered for that protocol. NIAID will provide you with additional information should your patient be accepted into an ongoing clinical study. Your patient’s eligibility for an existing NIAID clinical trial will not affect the prospect of his or her case being accepted by the PID Clinic.

Thank you for considering this opportunity to confer with NIAID about your patient. We appreciate your com­mitment to providing the best possible care for your patients and for giving them the opportunity to participate in the research efforts dedicated to advancing medical knowledge about PIDDs.